Check this out. This guy was arrested because he was a nice guy and gave his landlord $600 to cover the rape victim's rent or moving expenses if she chose to move even though he NEVER MET her. They lived in the same complex. The landlord got suspicious of the gift and called police. Police NEVER asked for an allibi although he now has 20 signed statements saying he was at work at the time of the rape. In addition, police released his photo and name to the Chronicle! Now, DNA evidence and the sworn statements from co-workers have finally cleared him. Meanwhile, as police were doing such a bang up job on the case, the ACTUAL rapist raped another girl in the apartment complex. Moral: No good deed goes un-punished. http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/metropolitan/568428 ------------------ "No one gets out ALIVE!" SaveOurRockets.com
This also explains why conservatives should wake up and pay attention to the recent DNA exonerations of more than 80 men on death row. (That means you, too, Gov. Bush.) Every time we stick the needle in the wrong guy, we're not just taking innocent life; we're closing the books on the case and letting the real killer walk free.
I hope this guy gets what's coming to him and the police involved pay for royally screwing up the case. ------------------ We need some meat in the post!
Amen, Will! I have never been able to figure out what is so difficult about allowing a death row inmate a shot at proving his/her innocence through testing if it is possible. I also cannot understand why family members of the victim would ever oppose it. If a member of my family was murdered, I sure as hell would want to make sure they got the right guy! ------------------ "No one gets out ALIVE!" SaveOurRockets.com
I think if most of us had someone close to us murdered our actions and wishes wouldn't be driven by reason. Of course IMO the legal system should never allow the principles of revenge or pay back to come into play (which is what I think the basis for capital punishment is, because there are certainly other ways to reduce the perpetrators threat to society). Not that this isn't an understandable sentiment of victims families when a crime like this has occurred, it is just a needed safeguard in my view that the system never legitimizes killing as an act of retribution. I find it rather ironic that many Western writers were so surprised when confronted by ritualistic sacrifices and the like of the Aztecs and other native peoples, or we get shocked to find out other "undeveloped" still have firing squads and "barbaric" public hangings. Each may have had different window dressing concerning it, but it isn't much different in purpose (killing of the politically weak by the politically powerful to maintain the social order). In fact I think the USA is one of the few 1st world democracies that still has a justice system that uses capital punishment. ------------------ [This message has been edited by sir scarvajal (edited June 02, 2000).]
That's horrible... I hope 1) They catch the SOB 2) The victim will recover (I know it will never be the same. That's so sad.) 3) David will not stop giving because of this incident. I used to believe in castrating rapist, but I remember seeing a study on Discovery (or The Learning Channel) that castration does not solve the problem, because they will find other ways to "rape" their victim.
Rape is NOT a sexual act. It is an act of violence perpetrated through sex. ------------------ "No one gets out ALIVE!" SaveOurRockets.com
I think I would buy the "deterrant" argument if violent crime rates dropped after it was legalized, but they haven't. They've gone up a ton. In fact, it has NEVER been a deterrant. Some of the most violent societies in the history of our planet were ruled by the sword. I see the argument with plea bargaining, but it doesn't convince me enough. I think my biggest argument is the hypocracy of it all. I once saw a show that video taped parents with their children because they were having some problems dealing with anger, etc. At one point, the little boy (around 7) hit his younger sister - basically, he slapped her hand. The mother grabbed the boy and said, "We don't hit people," as she was HITTING him on the arm. To me, this is very similar to the death penalty itself. We tell society that it is wrong to kill but we kill as an act of punishment. Until we realize that violent crime is not a result of "evil" but an act predicated by a myriad of different issues and problems, we will continue to have to deal with it and continue to use methods to "fix it" that don't work. I just believe that the death penalty is one that doesn't work. ------------------ "No one gets out ALIVE!" SaveOurRockets.com
Not that it makes it right... because I personally struggle with the issue. One strong rationale for the death peanlty is that it acts as a deterrant to other criminals. We have certain people in our society who have no fear of prision -- especially since our system has a reputation for letting criminals go early. The prospect of the death penalty terrifies them though. There's no question it deterrs other criminals from committing murder and other crimes. Even in the movies, you can see people who don't commit murder because they are afraid of "getting the chair." In an ironic sense, it does keep a lot of criminals off the street. It gives the state a lot of leverage in plea bargaining with criminals. Especially when they are likely to be convicted, or are convicted, they will give up the fight, receiving life, in exchange for a guarantee of no death penalty -- which gets them off the street. Without the death penalty, the bargaining chip would be 20 years vs. life, which a) isn't any different in the view of many criminals, or b) you end up offering a murderer 20 years, to at least get them off the street. Unfortunately, they then are able to get back on the street in a few years. ------------------ Stay Cool...
